I'm afraid I was very disappointed in the elections results as well. Particularly after just having listened to an economics podcast covering one professor's analysis of a very large compiled database of suicide attacks. His analysis is that the root cause (not sole cause) of such attacks is due to occupation rather than Islamic fundamentalism.

And now here's Netanyahu stating it's going to be permanent with even less hope (is that possible??) than before.

I'm not sure how well the analysis works for Boko Haram given the little I know about them, but the other examples I found compelling.

I'm afraid I was very disappointed in the elections results as well. Particularly after just having listened to an economics podcast covering one professor's analysis of a very large compiled database of suicide attacks. His analysis is that the root cause (not sole cause) of such attacks is due to occupation rather than Islamic fundamentalism.

And now here's Netanyahu stating it's going to be permanent with even less hope (is that possible??) than before.

I'm not sure how well the analysis works for Boko Haram given the little I know about them, but the other examples I found compelling.

If the Palestinians are railing against corruption, they are marching merrily in the wrong direction.

Boko haram is also "battling corruption," and like all other Islamist groups they are a cure worse than the disease.

The TL;DR of "Islamic terror" is that ever few generations there comes a movement to replace the local government; tyrant, conquering empire, corrupt democracy, with "good Muslims" who won't be so corrupt. It generally includes a call to return to "Mohammed's values," which is what ISIS is trying. The Iranians have been trying out a version for thirty years. None of them work. Iran's mullahs are as corrupt as the followers of Khadaffi or the elected plunderers of Nigeria. No one is quite ready to have another bloody revolution, but the ruling fanatics will eventually force the issue. (But all Iranians are pretty on board with having atomic weapons, it is a mark of being one of "the big boys." And Ukraine has proved that once a country has nukes, they should NEVER give them up.)

It's the one thing that you can 101% count on organised religion to get wrong: you can't force people to believe and act in accordance with your beliefs. You have to inspire them to follow. The moment they try to coerce it stops being faith and becomes fear.

It's the one thing that you can 101% count on organised religion to get wrong: you can't force people to believe and act in accordance with your beliefs. You have to inspire them to follow. The moment they try to coerce it stops being faith and becomes fear.

THIS. SO, much this.

Though, I'm not sure that organized religion always (101%) gets this wrong. I'm speaking as someone who spent two years of my life trying to inspire folks to follow my beliefs as part of an organized group (no points for guessing). Nonethelss, compulsion absolutely does NOT work.

We can lick gravity, but sometimes the paperwork is overwhelming. - Werner von BraunRight now you have no idea how lucky you are that I am not a sociopath. - A sign seen above my desk.There's no upside in screwing with things you can't explain. - Captain Roy Montgomery

I'm on-board with GenCon's position, no surprise at all to anyone who knows me. Indiana SB101, very similar laws in several other states (including my own beloved Commonwealth), and the Federal RFRA are awful.

I don't think this is an empty threat on GenCon's part; at the same time, nothing may come of it. GenCon's staying in Indy through 2020. That's five years for challenges to SB101 to be made, and hopefully for the law to be struck down. If the law stands, this gives GenCon five years to find a new host city.

Should GenCon leave Indianapolis, the individuals who will suffer most are those who, demographically, are least likely to favor the law. Indianapolis is pretty blue (southwest and outer suburbs excepted); it has 15 legislators in the Indiana House of Representatives. 5 of those are Republicans, four of these voted for SB101. All ten Indy Democrats voted against it. Indy's Republican mayor, Greg Ballard, is also strongly opposed to SB101.

I'll go ahead and throw any veneer of objectivity out the window. Representatives of Outer Dumbfuckistan and a grandstanding governor have thrown their state's largest city and much of its welcoming reputation under a bus. Governor Pence is angling for a larger national profile, probably a Presidential/Vice-Presidential shot in 2020 or 2024, and this helps establish his People of Tea/rightwing cred.

Logged

The above may be conjecture, deliberate paraphrase, or outright bullshit.

As a (small L) libertarian, may I please take a moment to point out that the Tea Party folks don't represent actual libertarian thought. (They just stole our objections to taxes.) People should be free to make their own choices. Even if I disagree with them. No, strike that, especially if I disagree with them.

I actually see a number of analogies to free speech: the speech everyone agrees with doesn't need protection. Likewise, the way folks live their lives shouldn't be up for debate. If you aren't hurting me or mine, carry on.